BleedGopher
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per Randy:
Look around major college football, and you see the size. A 6-2, 275-pound offensive lineman isn’t considered large anymore. If you want to play on a Big Ten line, it behooves you to be at least 6-3 and weigh 300 or more.
And those interior defensive linemen battling those offensive road graders? If you’re not 6-2 to 6-4 and close to or exceeding 300 pounds, good luck.
Short men, it appears, need not apply. But nobody told that to Steven Richardson.
A Gophers senior defensive tackle entering his fourth year as a starter, Richardson is making the most of his generously listed 6-foot frame. Much of that is because he is a compact 292 pounds, powered by tree stumps for thighs and a motor that has made him one of the better defensive linemen in the country.
“I’m glad he’s on our side, let’s put it that way,” said Gophers defensive coordinator Robb Smith, who is coaching Richardson for the first time. “He’s made strides even from the spring to where is now in terms of learning the system and mastering the system.”
Richardson enters his final season with the Gophers on the watch lists for Outland Trophy (outstanding interior lineman) and Bronko Nagurski Trophy (national defensive player of the year). He’s coming off a junior season in which he had 31 tackles, a team-leading 11 tackles for loss and seven sacks. His presence helped the Gophers hold opponents to 3.4 yards per rush, which ranked among the nation’s top 20.
What’s also impressive is the steam he’s getting from the analytics crowd.
Pro Football Focus lists Richardson second to Houston sophomore Ed Oliver as the highest-rated interior defensive player. And Richardson’s 41 quarterback pressures from last year are the most among returning Big Ten defensive tackles, PFF reports. Michigan’s Maurice Hurst, with 34, is a distant second. The website also lists him as No. 4 on its list of top returning Big Ten players.
http://www.startribune.com/gophers-...oo-short-rides-high-by-staying-low/440093883/
Go Gophers!!
Look around major college football, and you see the size. A 6-2, 275-pound offensive lineman isn’t considered large anymore. If you want to play on a Big Ten line, it behooves you to be at least 6-3 and weigh 300 or more.
And those interior defensive linemen battling those offensive road graders? If you’re not 6-2 to 6-4 and close to or exceeding 300 pounds, good luck.
Short men, it appears, need not apply. But nobody told that to Steven Richardson.
A Gophers senior defensive tackle entering his fourth year as a starter, Richardson is making the most of his generously listed 6-foot frame. Much of that is because he is a compact 292 pounds, powered by tree stumps for thighs and a motor that has made him one of the better defensive linemen in the country.
“I’m glad he’s on our side, let’s put it that way,” said Gophers defensive coordinator Robb Smith, who is coaching Richardson for the first time. “He’s made strides even from the spring to where is now in terms of learning the system and mastering the system.”
Richardson enters his final season with the Gophers on the watch lists for Outland Trophy (outstanding interior lineman) and Bronko Nagurski Trophy (national defensive player of the year). He’s coming off a junior season in which he had 31 tackles, a team-leading 11 tackles for loss and seven sacks. His presence helped the Gophers hold opponents to 3.4 yards per rush, which ranked among the nation’s top 20.
What’s also impressive is the steam he’s getting from the analytics crowd.
Pro Football Focus lists Richardson second to Houston sophomore Ed Oliver as the highest-rated interior defensive player. And Richardson’s 41 quarterback pressures from last year are the most among returning Big Ten defensive tackles, PFF reports. Michigan’s Maurice Hurst, with 34, is a distant second. The website also lists him as No. 4 on its list of top returning Big Ten players.
http://www.startribune.com/gophers-...oo-short-rides-high-by-staying-low/440093883/
Go Gophers!!
